A Dark And Quiet Room

I just posted about the Washington D.C. checkpoint, which is in response to the large amount of violence in that area. So, here’s my question. Where does all that violence come from?

Now, there are always wicked men who “eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.” (Proverbs 4:17). And yet, I wonder…how much of this violence is connected to the drug trade? For example, my understanding is that nearly all the murders last year in Peoria were drug-related. Sadly, I don’t have any specific numbers on hand, though I would be quite interested to hear how I could go about proving or disproving this. I’m going to guess that this isn’t a particularly controversial point.

So, let’s say that I’m correct, and much of the urban violence that we suffer is the result of competition for the illegal drug trade. Can someone explain to me again why we’ve created a Prohibition on drugs? Why should the government be taking any sort of responsibility for the substances that people put into their own bodies?

And, on top of this, look at the various ways in which our fundamental rights are being violated in the ongoing “war on drugs”. (Watch this piece for an example of what I’m talking about, or just refer to the Washington Post article about the checkpoint.) Is this a price worth paying?

How is this justice?

From the Washington Post:

D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier announced a military-style checkpoint yesterday to stop cars this weekend in a Northeast Washington neighborhood inundated by gun violence, saying it will help keep criminals out of the area.

Starting on Saturday, officers will check drivers’ identification and ask whether they have a “legitimate purpose” to be in the Trinidad area, such as going to a doctor or church or visiting friends or relatives. If not, the drivers will be turned away.

…

The checkpoint will stop vehicles approaching the 1400 block of Montello Avenue NE, a section of the Trinidad neighborhood that has been plagued with homicides and other violence. Police will search cars if they suspect the presence of guns or drugs, and will arrest people who do not cooperate, under a charge of failure to obey a police officer, officials said.

(emphasis mine)

Ahem. I quoth:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

I thought that this was supposed to be a law that we were all supposed to follow or something.

Okay, so I’m in favor of the legalization of drugs and all that. But, setting that aside right now, this story is really funny.

Zack the Weed Man. Funny stuff.